Friction-clutch.



No. 841,564. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

Y R. C. NUCENT.

FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED AUG.28, 1906.

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TED sans FFICEQ RICHARD (LNUGENT, OF CINCINNATI, onto.-

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Belit known that I, Riemann C. NUGENT, a citizen .of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a friction-clutch, and more particularly to'clutches having an i expansible element for frictional engagement with a rotatable element to positively impart .movement to the latter.

The primaryobject of theinvention is the provision of a driving member having an expansible element when-actuated to frictionally engage a revoluble element to impart corresponding movement thereto. a

Another object of the invention is the" r0- vision of a tension-controlled means for holding the expansible element in a locked position.

bination, and arrangement of parts, as Willbehereinafter described, and asillustrated in the accompanying, drawings, which disclose the plreferred embodiment of the invention.

owever, it is to he understood that changes; variations, and modifications may be made that come properly within the scope of the cl aims hereunto appended without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of the friction-clutch. 2 is a sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a perspective elevation of the expansible member in detail and being detached from the friction-clutch.

' Similar reference characters indicate cor- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 28,1906. Serial no, 332,367;

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of means for actuating the locking. member to hold the same in an o erative po-' ZPa'tented Jan. 15, 1907.

responding parts throughout the severalv views.

.In the drawings the numeral 2 designates a rotatable shaft having fixed thereto a disk member 3, the latter having a radial bore 4, terminating at one extremity in a cut-out portion 5 at the periphery of the said disk 3 and at the other end in an open g '6, contiguous' with the circumference; the shaft 2 and for receiving a pin 7, having atone end'a Wedge element 8, the latter adapted to have its seat in the cut-out portion 5 of the disk 3. The'other end of the pin 7 has an enlar ement 9, resting in a keyway 10, cut in t e shaft 2 and extending longitudinallya distancetherein. Surrounding the pin 7 is a spiral tension-spring 11, having one terminal bearing against a shoulder. 12 on the en: larged terminal 9 of said pin, 7 and the other end having its bearing against a detachable collar 13, the same being screw-th.readed and engaging screwthreads-F in the wall of the bore 4, the upper' face of the collar 13 whenscrewed into the wali of the bore 4 being flush with the base-face of the cut-out portion-5 in the disk 3, and said collar surrounds the pin 7, holdjnithf, same in'posi-.

tion within the bore 4 in t e disk 3.

Surrounding the disk 3 atfthe periphery thereof is an expansible split 13, the lat ter held against rotary-movement with-the disk 3 by a bloc-k 14, carriedhy the disk ,3 at

a distance from the cut-out ortion 5 of said disk, one terminal of the an expansible ring abuttin against the said block 14, the other termina v of the 13 having secured thereto a block 15, having its seat in the cutout portion 5 of the ifdisk 3 and provided with an inclined surface 16, contiguous with the inclined face 17 of the Wedgeel'ement 8.

Loosely mounted and revoluble on the shaft 2 is a shellulley 18, the same adapted to house the dis 3 andthe expansible ring 13, said pulley 18 being held against longitushaft by a set-screw member 20. On the shaft 2 is a slidable sleeve 21, having fixed thereto key 22 at opposite sides thereof, the same provided with inclined ends 23 and adapted to slide in the ke ay 10 in the shaft I oo dinal displacement by a collar.19, fixed'to the 2. The keys 22 when shifted with the sleeve 21 in the keyway 10 and in one direction bring the inclined end 23 into contact with the enlarged portion 9 of the pin 7, causing the same to be raised in the bore 4, in op osition to the tension-spring 11 and throng the medium of the said pin will move the wedge element 8 radially with respect to the shaft 2, and the inclined face 1 7 of the said element will engage the inclined face 16 of the block 15, carried by the expansible ring 13, causing the latter to yield and frictionally engage the interior of the shell-pulley 18, thereby locking the latter, so as to cause movement thereof with respect to the-movement of the disk 3, driven by the. shaft 2. When it is desiredto free the shell-pulley 18, it is necessary to shift the sleeve 21 in an opposite direction on the shaft 2, which will carry the key 22 therewith, returning the same from beneath the enlarged portion 9 (if the pin 7, and the tension-spring 11; will automatically return the wedge element 8 to its seat in the cut-'out portion 5 of the disk 3, thus decreasing the expansion of the ring 13, whereby the latter will be relieved from frictional contact with the interior face of the shell-pulley 18, which will be freed from relative movement with respect to the said disk 3.

It will be apparent that the sleeve 21 can be actuated by any well-known shiftin device, so as to move the same longitudina ly in opposite directions on the shaft 2 to actuate the expansible ring 13', positioned intermediate the said disk 3, and the shell-pulley 18, forming the friction-clutch. Furthermore, when the wedge element Sis moved outwardly from its seat,form'ed by the cut-out portion 5 in the disk 3, causes the inclined ace 17 of said wedge element to contact with the inclined face 16 of the block 15, carried by the expansiblering 13, to circumferentially move at the periphery of the disk 3, and the other terminal of said ring will abut against the block 14, thus limiting the movement of the said ring and causing the same to frictionally icontact with the shell-pulley 18, thus locking the disk and pulley together.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is I 1. In a friction clutch, a rotatable shaft having a disk fixed thereto provided with a radial bore, a pin mounted in said bore, one terminal thereof having an enlarged portion, a wedge element carried at the other terminal of the pin and having an inclined face, a split expansible ring mounted at the periphery of the disk, a block carried by the ring and having an inclined surface for contact with the inclined face of the wedge element, a block fixed to the disk at the periphery thereof for forming an abutment for one terminal of the split ring, a shell-pulley surrounding the disk and the expansiblering for frictional engagement with the latter, a sleeve slidable on the shaft and having key, said shaft provided with a key-guideway for receiving the key, and means for moving he sleeve to bring the key into engagement with-the enlarged portion of the pin for actuating the wedge element to impart movement to the expansionrin for frictional engagement with the shellpul ey to lock the same with the disk and cause corresponding movement therewith.

2. In a clutch, the combination with a shaft and a disk rigid thereon, of a spring-retracted pin radially mounted in the disk, a

wedge-segment carried by the outer end of said pin abutting against a shoulder on the disk, an expansible ringmounted circumferentially on the disk, an abutment carried by the diskfor engagement by the end of the expansible ring, a wedge carried by the opposite endof the ring to cooperate with theradial wedge, a shell-pulley inclosing the expansible ring, and a key to engage the inner end of the radial pin to force the same outward and cause expansion of the ring.

' 3. The combination with a shaft and a rigid disk thereon, a pin radially movable in,

the disk, a wedge element on the outer end of the pin engaged in a recessed portion in the periphery of the disk, of an expansible ring encircling the disk having one of its ends engaging an abutment on the disk, a wedge ele.

ment carried by the opposite end of the said ring adapted to be engaged by the radial wedge, a shellpulley rotatively inclosing the disk and ex ansible ring,'a slidable key to engage the ra ial pin to force the wedge radially outward.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD C. NUGENT.

' Witnesses:

JAs. WILDER,

Jrnuns E. TEMPEST. 

